Being Bobble
by Evil-Pixie-Dust
Summary: Tinkerbell/Bobble- Bobble has always felt that he didn't want to be himself. Imagine how he feels when he's tricked into telling Tinkerbell his feelings for her. A little angsty, but it has a happy ending. Read and review. Oneshot.


1Ah...oneshot. Straight one shot. I normally don't give a second glance to straight pairings, being a yaoi-maniac, but I love this one so much. So, here comes the unintended angst and the eventual cute fluff. Review.

Being Bobble:

My name is Phineas T. Kettletree Esquire. Although, most fairies know me as Bobble, an appropriate tinker nickname, I suppose, but I've never found any great affection for it. Not that I hate it, I just never felt that it was right. Well, at least, I didn't. I'm actually rather fond of it now. The reason? It's how _she_ says it. Tinkerbell. The first time I heard her say it, I nearly fell off of my workshop stool. I'm glad I didn't, that would've been highly embarrassing.

I think that's when I realized I was infatuated with her. Not love, mind you. Just infatuated. I fell in love with her when she kissed me last Christmas. Clank shoved me under the mistletoe as she walking under it. The kiss was chaste, but it was tender and caring and the happiest moment of my life. The look on Terence's face was an added bonus. I'm not very fond of the dust keeper. He's got nothing in that head of his. Quite the opposite of a tinker.

Anyway, during the following January, Terence did something, though I can't imagine what, to get on Tink's bad side. He probably said something pig-headed, but I may be assuming harshly.

I was entertaining the idea of telling Tinkerbell how I felt. What I mean, of coarse, is that I pined after her like a lost puppy and watched from afar. That was, until, Clank stole my goggles and pinned me down until I promised to do something about my hopeless state of infatuation. Fairy Mary agreed, saying that my love struck state was bad for production.

But what was I supposed to do?! Terence would probably apologize in no time and Tink would run back into his arms. Besides, he's better looking than I am, especially with these ridiculously hideous goggles. Not that I'm saying Tinkerbell is vain, but really. Who would you pick? The pretty boy or the reclusive geek?

However, much to my extreme displeasure, neither Clank nor Fairy Mary would let me get away with not trying. So, I decided the best place to start was Tink's friends. I prepared myself for the worst.

I meekly turned a corner that lead to the pond where the girls had gathered that day. For the record, it took me an hour to find them. I finally had to ask Rune, the story-telling fairy, where they were. He knows everything.

They were chatting and giggling, talking about something I had no idea about and had no urge to find out about. I did, however, notice that Tinkerbell was _not_ with them and that this was the perfect chance to ask them questions.

"Good afternoon my fine ladies," I chirped happily, walking towards them with what I hope was a confident-looking stride. I have..._mild_ confidence issues.

"Hey there raindrop!" came Silvermist's cheerful reply, "What can we do ya for?"

Suddenly finding the ground particularly interesting, I lowered my head before I answered, "I, um, was actually hoping if I could ask you some questions."

I looked up quickly enough to see them look at each other with a mixture of what I assume was worry and curiosity.

"Sure thing, sugar-plum," Rosetta cooed, touching my shoulder softy. It was a nice gesture, but it made me feel more like a small boy than a man looking for love. But, I suppose, that's probably how they saw me at that moment.

Taking a breath deep, enough to burst my lungs, I clenched my fists and lowered my head. "WhatdoesTinkerbelllookforinaman?" I mumbled. Cracked-teapots! That meant I had to say it again. Unless, I hoped, they caught what I said...

"What was that?" Fawn asked, tilting her head in confusion.

I took a shuddering breath and attempted to calm my nerves. I felt a tad hopeless. I mean, these were just her friends...how was I supposed to confess to Tinkerbell herself?

Shaking the pessimistic thoughts from my head, I took one more breath before I tried again.

Slowly, I asked, "What does Tinkerbell look for in a man?"

I recall, at this point, a deafening silence. The initial looks on their faces would've been hilarious if, at the time, I hadn't been wondering if they were going to mock me or yell at me or something equally humiliating.

Then they burst into laughter. Uncontrollable laughter. It lasted minutes, in all honesty. Just as I was ready to fly away and try to forget I ever even asked them such a horrifying question, they calmed down and enveloped me in a group hug. I wasn't really in the mood for it, but it was four against one and I wasn't about to fight girls. It's ungentlemanly.

"Oh, Bobble, you're so cute," Silvermist cooed. Not what I wanted to hear, but it was better than being mocked, right?

"Oh my god, you like Tink! I knew it!" Iridessa said from behind me.

I had to stop this or I was going to lose all hope, because it was going to be swallowed by my humiliation. "Ladies, ladies, please. I really need your help."

So, suppressing their urges to coo and squeal, they released me from their hug and settled for crowding me against a cat-tail rod.

"Okay, sproutling, what do you need?" Rosetta asked eagerly, clasping her hands together. Their excitement made me question whether or not this was a good plan of action. But, her question made me think. What did I need? Well, I needed to know...to know...

"How to woo her," I answered, and I immediately felt like a nerd. Who uses the word woo anymore?

Silvermist squealed, though it didn't surprise me. The girls wasted no time in planning what I should do.

My fate was sealed and I didn't like the look of it.

***

I always saw myself as average, and I was under the impression that everyone else saw me as less. Even though I felt this way, I went about daily life not thinking about it. I had no reason to, so I feigned ignorance and acted confident and quirky and goofy. I acted like "Bobble." Or, what I believe they thought "Bobble" was like. It's not like I saw them very often. Ninety percent of my time was spent in the tinkers' workshop, fiddling with something or other.

In fact, I didn't even question myself or my routine until Tinkerbell arrived. She made me take a closer look at things. She's the most beautiful creature I've ever seen and I fell for her. Then I realized that I was fooling myself. I must've been. A day or so after I realized I loved her, I passed by a mirror. I dropped the baskets I was carrying.

Shakily, I turned to look at my reflection and I fought the urge to recoil. I found myself to be...awkward. I was lanky, my hair was a mess, and my goggles made me look like a complete fool. I felt sick

My point being, is that I felt hopeless. But I had been wrangled into confessing. I decided that I'd never tell anyone how I was feeling ever again and that I'd live the life of a sex-less plant. It was safer and I'd get free water out of it.

I looked around the room. Everything was in place; I hadn't missed a single detail that the girls had told me to do.

Rose petals carpeted the floor of Tinkerbell's house. (Yes, I was in her house. No, I didn't break in. No lock.) Candles, compliments of Iridessa, lit the room with a pale yet romantic glow. My sweaty palm clutched a bouquet of Tinkerbell's favorite flowers. It was as perfect as the girls had seen it.

I had expressed to them that I wanted to change what I looked like, but they brushed the idea aside, saying I was silly to think there was something wrong with me. I didn't believe them, but I didn't feel any better either.

My stomach churned nervously as I waited for her to come home. I felt like a fool. I was worried it would go wrong. I didn't know how right I was.

A low murmur quickly fell upon my ears and I furrowed my brow, straining to hear it.

Talking? Yes, it was. But, talking meant...more than one person. Oh no.

I could do nothing and I had no time to hide, because in the time it took me to realize my life was over, Tinkerbell made it to the door and opened it. Terence was right behind her.

I wish I hadn't seen the look on her face when she saw me and what I'd done. She glanced around the room in surprise before her eyes, those piercing blue orbs, settled on me in complete shock. And the worst part: She said nothing. Not a word. She just...stared at me.

The bouquet fell from my hand, landing softly on the floor. My chest ached as if my heart was trying to burst from my chest and hide forever. I couldn't breath. I could do only what I had to do to get out.

"I'm...I'm so sorry," I choked out. Then I fled past them, my wings beating like a frightened hummingbird's. The last thing I recalled as I sped into the night sky was Terence's smug laughter trailing after me.

***

I didn't go into the workshop the next day. I couldn't. She'd be there and I already felt broken enough. I couldn't possibly look at her. Not then and not ever.

After hiding out at the pond for three or more hours the previous night, rampaging the place and screaming my frustrations out into the darkness and loneliness of the solitude, I stumbled home using the last bit of remaining strength I had and collapsed on my bed. I didn't sleep however. I couldn't. My body may have been numb, but my mind was making up for it. It raced with thoughts and I got so fed up with the state of myself that I finally threw my goggles across the room and broke out into tears. After that, I curled up in my blanket and stared at my mattress.

That's where I was four hours after sunrise.

Clank had stopped by earlier, but he quickly left after I screamed a few choice words at him. I just...I didn't want to be "Bobble" right now. I wanted to be anybody but "Bobble."

I was just about to slip into a state of what I assume would have been a sorry excuse for sleep when a soft knock sounded from the door.

I didn't answer. Maybe they'd leave. Wrong.

I heard the door open after three more rounds of knocks and I burrowed further into my blankets. It was probably just Fairy Mary, come to yell at me.

"Bobble?" the voice was soft and tender and it sounded like the tinkling of tiny bells.

Tinkerbell.

I held my breath. No, no, no. She was the last person I wanted to see. Why was she here? To formally reject me? My heart thumped in my throat, threatening to choke me with my own emotions.

"Bobble, please answer me. Please?" She sounded worried. I hated myself for that. What could I do? I was still desperately in love with her. I had to answer.

"Hi Tink."

"Bobble, I am so sorry about last night,"she whispered gently, sitting on the edge of my bed. I felt her hand touch my shoulder and I fought the urge to jump out of my skin.

"No. I'm the one that should be sorry. I had no right to do that. Not if your in love with-"

"I'm not," she cut me off, squeezing my shoulder tightly, "I was going to tell him that after he dropped me off at home."

My heart jumped from my throat to my chest and I was filled with hope. Oh, hope. So long had I been without it. I sat up and balanced myself on my elbow. It was then I realized that I had thrown my goggles across the room during my fit the night before. I wondered what she though about it...

She looked at me for a few seconds, although I couldn't make out the look on her face. I was, and still am, as blind as a bat.

Her hand trailed from my shoulder to my free hand and she held it tightly. "I told him that I belonged to someone else."

My hope was short-lived. She was going to tell me who it was and it wasn't going to be me. It wasn't. Not at all. Never.

"I love you, Bobble."

I stared at her. Maybe I had fallen asleep. I was dreaming. Yes. Dreaming.

"Bobble?" She squeezed my hand and I could tell by her voice that she was worried again. I wasn't dreaming. This was real. So real.

"I love you too, Tinkerbell."

Before I could say anything else, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to mine. Initially, I froze, shocked by her forwardness, but then again, that was Tink. Forward. Brave. I smiled inwardly and gently took hold of her thin, delicate shoulders as I deepened the kiss. We stayed like that for seconds, but it felt like ages to me and I wanted to spend eternity like that. But, fairies need to breathe, so we broke apart.

"Oh, I almost forgot." She left my side for a moment and I couldn't tell where she went, but she was back at my side in an instant. "I made these for you with glass I found on the beach." I felt her soft hands brush against my temples as she placed something over my eyes. I could see. Crystal clear, in fact. She made me new glasses.

"You're always having to replace the dew drops in your goggles, so I thought that these would help," she explained with a smile, her eyes fluttering in that cute way...

I grinned like an idiot and pulled her into a tender hug. "I love them. Thank you, Tink."

She nuzzled into the crook of my neck and sighed, as if she had been stressing about what I would think. "You're welcome, Bobble."

From that moment on, even to this moment now, I've never wanted to be anybody but "Bobble."

End

A/N: There you go. Cute, ne? Review please.

~Pixie-chan


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